To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Chapter 333: Chapter 210: The Return (Second Update)_1

After the “Fallen Mecha” tournament was halted, the media, which had already taken money, immediately shifted its stance.

Yesterday, it was “Bad money drives out good? Why do trash games exist?” Today, it’s “A great game, a great East.”

Seemingly, face-changing isn’t exclusive to Rong City—the media in the United States appears to be even better at this game. What they said yesterday can be dismissed as flatulence, and even if someone digs deeper, they could simply dispel the scrutiny with the philosophical notion that “yesterday’s me and today’s me are not the same.”

Within half a month, Fang Cheng Studio’s spending speed outpaced burning money, but its earning speed surpassed spending.

The game’s download figures were enviable, and the studio later adopted a model of free core game with a paid seasonal pass for its operation.

The chips also kicked off an upgrade system, giving players more motivation to grind.

The popularity of the tournament attracted a number of sponsors’ attention, and broadcasting and advertising fees not only recouped costs but also turned a profit of thirty percent.

Seeing the company account smash through fifty mini-goals, Fang Cheng sighed again.

He really didn’t like saving money.

This tournament brought in a substantial amount of cash from the United States side; going back, he would have to consider how to spend it most effectively.

Some would be used to build Hope Elementary, and some for establishing a game incubator foundation.

The audition phase of “Spirit Vessel” had concluded, and the elimination round was complete, with sixty-four players advancing to the finals—a surprising number of familiar faces among them.

His arch-rivals Xiemen Waidao and Liuzi showed stable performance, making it into the finals.

Moreover, the two miraculously would only meet in the championship match, which made Fang Cheng recognize there was some fateful connection between them.

His acquaintances, Qiu Yu and Eric, also made it to the finals, only to get knocked out in the first round. Still, they seemed quite happy with their $50,000 reward.

Unwittingly, this half-month-long festivity was finally drawing to a close.

The employees at Fang Cheng Studio gained a wealth of experience in the process, and their contacts and insights grew tremendously. Upon returning, they could wrap up “Spirit Vessel” and then move on to game updates and adjustments in a leisurely manner.

Knowing that the inaugural tournament’s champion was about to be crowned, various media outlets began purchasing broadcasting rights en masse. The outstanding game quality combined with holographic projection technology made the competition particularly spectacular to watch.

Kirin Industry’s reputation soared as a result, with a new holographic projection device ready for production. Fang Cheng Studio, holding shares, stood to gain a sizable profit.

Moreover, its main goal had been achieved—the development trajectory of Druid Entertainment had been disrupted. Next time they release a game, Fang Cheng was ready to repeat the process.

On the final day of the competition, after the semifinals had ended, the tournament finally reached the final match.

In their VR rigs, Xiemen Waidao and Liuzi moved their wrists, getting ready to deliver the fatal blow to one another.

These two had a natural intuition for controlling Mechas; if they hadn’t pursued their respective careers, they could have achieved results just by gaming.

However, Liuzi had a special fondness for comics and planned to take a break for creative inspiration after the tournament, aiming to resume publication this year.

Xiemen Waidao, having just graduated from college, hadn’t yet decided what to do next but was likely to become a game merchant, seeing if gaming for a living was feasible.

The $5 million prize was the first fortune he meant to capture, but it didn’t matter if he didn’t win—the consolation prize of $2 million was more than enough to live on.

After checking their VR rigs and adjusting all the equipment, assuring no issues were present, both players simultaneously entered the arena.

The finals were best two out of three, with the system randomly selecting maps for the duel, and the environmental setup of the maps heavily influencing their combat strategies.

Before the official start of the match, players had a few minutes to choose upon seeing the selected scene. They could pick any Mecha from the reserves, and guessing what type the opponent might choose was part of the game.

As the two were making their selections, the commentators, Wang and Monkey, sat at the commentator’s desk, ready to start calling the match.

“Quickly now,” Wang said to Monkey as he looked at the screen. “Chen Liang, you can see the randomly chosen map is a cityscape. It’s a popular map where small drones are quite useful. Do you think both sides will develop toward this?”

Unable to compete due to being an insider, Monkey had the chance to commentate instead of wasting his talents.

Looking at the scene on the screen, Monkey nodded and replied, “That’s very possible. Suicide drones are a useful tactic, and if you carry a factory chip with you, secretly establishing a drone center would be even better. However, Xiemen Waidao has a pretty devious playstyle, so I think he might opt for a camouflage strategy.”

“Are you talking about that despicable strategy of disguising as a high-rise and lurking until the opponent can’t hold their bladder anymore?”

“Exactly, the kind that makes us fall asleep in the venue and wake up to find the match still isn’t over.”

“…Suddenly, I feel like hitting him.”

“Wang, stay calm; we’re on air right now.”

“Oh, sorry. Let me rephrase that—I suddenly feel like sending him to the hospital for a long rest.”

“That’s more like it.”

Three minutes later, the selection was over.

Somewhat surprisingly, Xiemen Waidao opted for an agile-type Mecha.